Roche sets up diabetes headquarters in Austria

16.10.2015

Roche Austria, subsidiary of the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, is setting up the headquarters for its work in the field of diabetes in Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, the Balkans and Southeast Europe via Roche Diabetes Care. The new center is expected to commence operations in the summer of 2016. About 40 international employees will likely work there. “Vienna is the gateway to these countries and a highly attractive city. The people want to move and live there”, says Wolfram Schmidt, General Manager of Roche Austria. “Diabetes is also an increasingly important issue in Eastern Europe“, he adds. A large research project also planned for next year which focuses on gene analyses including therapy recommendations should make Austria into a European pilot site.

According to Schmidt, Austria is one of the top five in Europe when it comes to cancer therapy. Roche Austria strengthened its position on the Austrian market at the end of 2014 by acquiring Dutalys, a highly-efficient company conducting basic research in the field of antibodies and technology development. The work of this company “can be directly integrated into clinical research”, he adds. In the past Roche invested about EUR 7 million annually in clinical research in Austria.